Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -
Wayne Sears poured in 17 points off the bench and
John Harper added 15 points as the Eckerd Tritons (8-6, 2-3 SSC) beat the Florida Tech Panthers (10-6, 0-5 SSC), 81-69, on Saturday evening at the McArthur Center.
The Tritons shot 89.7 percent from the free throw line, with Sears and
Chris Gray each going 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, in the 12-point victory.
In a first half that saw five ties and five lead changes, the Tritons climbed out to a 30-21 lead with 6:52 to play, following a dunk by Sears and a fastbreak layup by
Lance Kearse. The Panthers, however, would score eight consecutive points, trimming Eckerd's lead to 30-29 on a layup by Mark Caviness with 4:56 to go.
After Eckerd once again made it a seven-point game, Tech's Simon Cummings would score six unanswered points to send the game into the half with Eckerd ahead, 38-37.
In the second frame, Tech would take a 55-51 lead on a three by Alvin Tucker before the Tritons would go on an 18-4 run over the next 6:40 to take a 69-69 lead on a pair of free throws by Gray. Eckerd would eventually expand its lead to 15, 81-66, on a layup by
Lewis Lampley before settling for the 12-point victory.
Eckerd shot 50 percent from the field while holding the Panthers to 39.3 percent. The Tritons also dominated the glass, 41-26. Lampley added six points and 10 rebounds while Kearse scored a season-high 11 points. Cummings led the Panthers with 17 points.
Eckerd will return to the hardwood on Wednesday, January 20 as it travels to Saint Leo, Fla. to battle the Saint Leo Lions at 7:30pm.
